February 18, 2009 • 12:04 pm
Here is my featured artist for the week, also one of my very good friends way back in college up til l now. Ana, and by the way I call her Ate Ana. Hahahahha! (it’s a long standing joke between me and her). She is one of those people I can call artists, in the sense that she reinvents herself in other mediums aside from her paintings. She also does body art and she is also a big supporter of local artists( painters, bands and etc.).
Here is her factbit:
Name: Sigwada Knicolai Mendoza but she is more known as Ana Mendoza ( Ate Ana, did I get your name right?) 
Nationality: Filipino
Lives in: Metro Manila
Like me and friend Paul we all studied in the University of the Philippines Cebu College and of course became friends there.
The object of her paintings has always been angels. Angels of all kinds. Her artist statement is “I Dream of Imperfection, for when dreams come out stained but not stale for me it is art.” I was not able to ask her my 3 question factbit like Paul but if you visit her website you will get everything from there. So please do visit Ana’s site at www.sigwadaknicolai.tk.
Do take time out to check out her artworks. She is currently showing her art together with some other artists at the Blue Line Gallery Rustans at Ayala Avenue until the 27th of February entitled SUBLIMINAL COSMOS. If you are based in Manila, do check them out if you have time.
Filed under: Features , art and artists, culture, friendships, local artists, philippines
February 13, 2009 • 5:29 pm
I’ve always had this admiration for local artists and I’ve thought up a way to feature them here in my blog. By merely, having them answer 3 questions that I have randomly thought of. Our artist of the week is someone that I have had the good fortune to meet and hang out with. I have always liked his art and his mediums and way back in college I was actually a little bit afraid of him because he was a huge giant of a guy and still is but I have gotten to know him as a friend and would like to feature his art here for everyone who reads my blogs.
Full Name: Paul Henry Villa Arenas
Born: May 1, 1979
Nationality: Filipino
Lives in: 64 C Gorordo Avenue Cebu City
Here is also a 3 question factbit ( my own lingo for small facts) that I managed to wiggle out of him while chatting in the internet.
EV: “Paul, where do you get inspiration from your art?”
Paul: “Anywhere”
EV: “What do you hope to do or inspire with the art that you make?”
Paul: “This is a tough one. Well I used to be conscious on its purpose like in college where a panel of judges throws this type of questions. But right now, its just whatever – more of finding myself and hopefully suprise myself. But I’m currently trying to follow Kandinsky’s concept of abstract – like make the viewer feel the elements in a subtlest way ever.”
EV: “Which artists influenced your art?”
Paul: “For techniques – picasso, nune alvarado and ang kiokok; For aesthetic content – Kandinsky; and the rest is up to me…”
There you have it ladies and gents from my friend Paulie!!! Please do visit his website where his art is showcased. Just click on PAUL ARENAS ART.
Thanks Paul for the interesting conversation…until the next time and more power to local artists. If I had the money, I’ll make sure to buy some from you Tweedledee!!!
Patronize our own Filipino artists guys!!!
Filed under: Features , art and artists, culture, friendships, local artists, philippines
January 26, 2009 • 6:11 pm
It is the Chinese New Year once more and this year was something new for me. Since I am now with my family, hence my mom (who is 50% Chinese by the way) suggested that we go to Ongpin St. in Binondo because she
Ongpin St.
wanted to celebrate Chinese New Year and also to explore Binondo for herself. Since she has been here, she really doesn’t go out for adventures but now that I am here, we go on adventures and this time she wanted a trip to Binondo. I was of course happy to oblige because I love everything Chinese and I love that part about me.
After taking a bus that would take us there, we stopped at Sta. Cruz and immediately the smell of horse dung assailed my senses. Wow! Yup we were here. That in itself was the trademark and I could see the kalesa’s all lined up ready to take the next customer on a horse ride. It was a Sunday and normally, shops were only open half a day so we didn’t get to see much but we vowed to come back again soon. We walked for a couple of minutes to reach Ongpin Street and immediately I could tell that we were near because I could see red lanterns in plenty and dragons as decorations
Purple Fire Truck
and a big sign that said, “Welcome to Chinatown”.
Our first stop was lunch at Eng Bee Tin, famous for their hopia and other Chinese deli’s that are bound to delight you. We bought loads of tikoy in different flavors (pandan, ube, strawberry, sweet corn and the regular white one), lots of hopia in different flavors as well and some other tasty stuff that you can find in Chinese deli’s. We ate lunch at a very good price and both the mom and I were stuffed full. After lunchtime we set about checking out the open general merchandise stores because I wanted to buy Zoe a bracelet to ward of evil. Then we traversed and checked out the different
in Binondo Church
food stalls and also of course visited Binondo Church. We also were treated to an eyeful of purple-colored Fire Trucks along the streets. Store shops sold tikoy in volume. People were flocking to buy carton after carton of tikoy and other stuff. Chinatown is indeed a haven for the foodie. My last stop was a Chinese drugstore where they sold “Sibut”. The mom and I went home feeling very good and very satisfied indeed and made plans to visit Chinatown again soon…
Filed under: all about the philippines , all about the philippines, culture, philippines, travels
January 19, 2009 • 5:40 pm
Yesterday, was a Sunday and it was the day that mom and I set aside so that we can visit Ongpin at Binondo. Manila’s chinatown. We reached our destination after 2 hours in transit taking into consideration traffic time. We arrived in Sta. Cruz and proceeded to find out where Chinatown was located. I was just on the lookout to see the red lanterns that signified festivities and I was sure that it was where we were headed. My mom is 50% Chinese that is why she grew up celebrating Chinese New Year and so loves everything Chinese. I think that she had passed on that trait to me. I was going to look for a lucky charm for Z as well. My mom was going to buy tikoy (glutinous rice) that Chinese usually have on Chinese New Year. Our destination for the tikoy was Eng Bee Tin’s chain of Chinese deli shops. We had heard that if you wanted the best tasting hopia and tikoy that they were the place to go so off we went in search of the legendary store. We found it after a few minutes of walking and luckily they also had a restaurant inside so we ate lunch there. They had machang (rice wrapped in a leaf with meat inside), and lots of other Chinese food that me and my mom had a fun time eating. Outside there were rows and rows of boxes of tikoy ranging from plain white, strawberry, pandan, ube, brown and butterscotch. They revolutionized tikoy. So when we were looking around for other things for Chinese New Year inside the store, there was a GMA camera and crew taking videos. We didn’t know that they were shooting but nonetheless I put up my brightest smile and lo and behold during last night’s GMA weekender report, they did show the video clip and my mom and me were a part of it. Am an ABS-CBN person but hey I got to love GMA for putting me and my mom on its screen. We both had a good laugh about it.
Filed under: My Family News , all about the philippines, culture, family news, philippines
January 13, 2009 • 3:11 pm
Last Saturday me and my sister along with my friend BV and her cousin watched the piano concierto at the Philamlife Theater in UN Avenue. It was the first time that I was going to watch a piano concierto and I was excited and eagerly anticipating the show. At exactly 8pm, the show started and I was chagrined to see a couple of prominent people in the audience although the theater was not packed. I could see Senator Franklin Drilon and wifey, Senator Nikki Coseteng and Senator Rodolfo Biazon among those clapping after every piece was completed. Valida was about late 40’s or early 50’s wearing glasses but she still had the love for playing as I could see she was really into the pieces that she was playing. Beethoven, Debussy and for her encore, Chopin. After she was given a standing ovation, she played another piece by Debussy. Her piano music was mesmerizing and soothing to the nerves. Music that could put you at ease and make you feel so relaxed. Me and my sister thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was some bonding time for both of us as we had lots to talk about on the way back home. I enjoyed the concierto and am looking forward to another one in the future. It was a nice and relaxing Saturday evening. Not a bad night at all.
Filed under: Philippine theater Arts , all about the philippines, culture, philippines
January 9, 2009 • 3:54 pm
An international pianist is going to be playing for Manila audiences come Saturday night, January 10, 2009 @ 8:00PM inside the Philam Life Auditorium, UN Avenue, Manila. She was brought to the Philippines by Antonietta Chan, sister of Jose Mari Chan. This will be my first piano concierto and I am looking forward to it. I don’t know if I will like it or not. This is one of those firsts. Well, I was taught to play piano as a kid and I have always liked to hear the music that my fingers could play out in our old piano. I am excited and so looking forward to the concierto. I have always been into enriching myself socially and culturally as part of my learning and this is a great opportunity for me. My boss, Uncle B was the one who made this possible. He gave me not 1 but 4 free tickets for Orchestra seats @ 1000 PHP each. Wow! Thanks Uncle B. He told me he did not have the interest to see it and instead he gave it to me. I consider myself very lucky indeed. Valida hails from Azerbaijan and graduated from the Azerbaijan and Moscow State Conservatory. For tickets you can call Glenda at 893-4725. Ticket prices are 1000 PHP, 500 PHP and 200 PHP. Proceeds for the concert will go to the San Antonio Formation and Enhancement Center. Piano for a Cause! I will be bringing my sister and friend BV for sure. The other 2 tickets, I still don’t know who. My parents would have been the ideal candidates but they can’t because they’d rather spend time at home.
Filed under: Music , all about the philippines, culture, philippines
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